Typographical composing machine



May 3, 1938. F; c. FROLANDER I TYPOGRAPHICAL GOMPOSING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed' Dec. 22, 1936 I [)VVENTOR 7 \BY I I r A TTOR-NE Y8.

May 3, 1938. F. c. FROLANDER TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Filed Deb. 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR M aw A TTORAZE Y5.

Patented May 3, 1938 TYPOGRAPHIGAL COMIPOSING MACHINE Frank C. Frolander, Elizabeth, N. J., assignor to Mergenthaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Application December 22, 1936, Serial No. 117,119 a 17 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to a power operated mechanism for typographical machines, such a key-board mechanism of the class illustrated in U. S. Letters Patent No. 530,931, to P. T; Dodge.

Akey-board mechanism of-this class ordinarily comprises a series of pivoted power-driven cam yokes adapted to actuate a series of vertical reeds or bars, whichin turn operate the escapements controlling the release 0f the matrices from the magazines. Each cam yoke is normally held'in inactive position by a trigger actuable by a finger-keyland, when, moved, trips the cam yoke toialloW: the cam .to engage and be rotated by a power-driven roll-tor swing the. yoke about its pivot and operatethereed, the trigger return-. ing in the meantime to its normal position to arrest and maintain the; yoke in inactive position after ,its,.operation .of the; reed. It sometimes happens, however, that the trigger, fails to return to its normalposition in time to arrest the yoke, so that thecam is permitted to engage the power operated roll continuously andactuate the yoke more than once. The failure of the trigger to return to its normal position may becaused.

either by some mechanical abnormality why an unintentional prolonged depression of the fingerkey. 1 y a" r 1 It is the object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing and other difficulties,

and, to this end, the invention contemplates the provision of safety means operable upon the abnormal operation, of the trigger to arrest the ca'myoke aftera single operation of the escape, mentactuating reed. Morevspecifically, the triggen is provided with a spring-pressed relatively movable dogadapted to yield when the trigger is moved by the depression of the finger-key to allow the cam yoke to fall by gravity to bring the cam into engagement with the power-driven 44) roll and, subsequently, when the yoke israised by theoam to actuate the reed, to snap back into positiontoarrest the cam yoke in its inactive position upon the failure of i the trigger to return to itsnormal position.

45 -In the accompanying drawings, the invention is shown merely byway of example and in pre ferred form, and as applied to a mechanism of the class stated, but obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein, and in 50 its mode of application, which will still be comprised within its spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific 'form or embodiment except insofar as such, limitations are, specified in the appended 55 claims; 5 ,1

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a vertical section, partly broken away, showing theimprovements embodied in the key board mechanism of a typographical machine;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a cam yoke and cam, partly broken away to show the construction;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view .of a cam yoke and cam; A

Figs. 4,5 and Bare detached views of the cam 10 yoke and associated parts, partly broken away and. showing the partsiin diiferent stages of operation;

Fig.7: is a view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction'of the arrows; 15

Fig. 81is a disassembled perspective View of the trigger; and

Fig. 9' is; a disassembled perspective view'of the safety dog. l As usual,- the matrices A .are released from their magazine B by escapements C, which are operated through a bank of pivoted levers D by a series of vertically movable rods or reeds E, suit-, ably guided in the framework and constantly urged downward by strong springs (not shown). 5 The upward movements of the reeds against the actions of their springs are effected by horizontally disposed yokes F, arranged as customary in a bank or series and with their inner ends positioned to engage the lower ends of the reeds. At 30 their opposite ends, the yokes are formedwith vertically open slots F which'fit over a transverse pivot wire or rod F in the framework, being removably heldin position against the rod F? by 'spring detents F exerting a downward 35 pressure thereon; and between their ends, the yokes are provided with rotary cams or eccentrics G, pivoted thereto as at G and adapted to be rotated by the underlying power-driven roll H, there being one roll for the, entire series of yokes. 40 Attheir inner ends, the yokes'F are supported upon angular pivoted dogs or triggers 'J whose free ends underlie and engage supporting ledges F on the yokes to hold the latter at such height as to maintain the cams G out of engagement with the roll H, the cams in this position of the parts being held against rotary motion by the engagement of crosspieces G thereon with fixed stops Gion the framework. When, however, the triggers J are moved out of engagement with the ledges F the cam yokesare tripped and allowed to drop, with the result that the cams G are disengaged from the, stops G and come into contact with the roll H, causing the cam yokes to be reciprocated in the usual manner; The triggers J are controlled by vertical bars K slidably arranged in the framework and operated by depressible finger-key levers L, the triggers being in constant operative connection with the fingerkeys through the bars K.

The parts so far described, and their mode of operation, are substantially the same as embodied in the commercial Linotype machine.

In carrying out the invention, each trigger J is recessed as at J (see Fig. 8) to accommodate a dog J pivoted thereto as at J and formed with an opening J through which projects a cross pin J of smaller diameter carried by the trigger. In a space provided between the front edge J of the dog J and a wall J of the trigger J, there is arranged a torsion spring J having one end anchored in a hole formed in a raised boss J provided on the triggerand its otherend anchored in a hole formed in the front edge J of the dog J The torsion spring J exercises itself to maintain the dog J in'its rearward position with the free or yokesupporting ends of the trigger J and dog J spaced apart, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, and yet allows the dog J to yield forwardly to bring the free ends of the trigger and dog closer together, as shown in Fig. 5, the pin J acting as a stop in both directions and the openingJ determining the range of relative movement.

The yoke F is slightly-modified to cooperate with the improved form of trigger J with its safety dog J by the provision of a crosspiece F formed on the underside of the yoke toengage the safety dog J and cause the same to yield in the release of the yoke '(Fig. 5) and also to engage'the dog for the arrest of the yoke after its operation under abnormal conditions (Fig. 6).

In operation, when the finger-key L is de-.

pressed and rocks about its pivot L it raises the vertical bar K and rocks the trigger J clockwise (compare Figs. 4 and 5) In so doing, the dog J strikes the crosspiece F on the yoke F and yields against the action of the spring J until the supporting end of the trigger is moved out of engagement with the ledge F on the yoke. In this condition of the parts (see Fig. 5), the yoke is free to drop by gravity to bring the cam G into engagement with thepower roll H, disengaging the cro'sspiece G onthe'cam from the stop G The roll H immediately effects the rotation of the cam G in the direction of the arrow, swinging the yoke upwardly to operate the reed E as the cam runs onto its high-portion G and carrying the forward end of the yoke above the ends of the trigger J and dog J As soon as the crosspiece F on the yoke moves out of engagement with the dog J the spring J exercises itself to return the dog to its original position, relatively to the trigger J, such that upon the failure of the trigger to return to its normal yoke supporting position before the cam G completes its rotation, the crossbar F will bank upon the end of the dog J and arrest the yoke slightly above its normal position (see Fig. 6), the cam G being brought to rest by the engagement of its pin G with'the stop G as usual. The dog J will continue to support the yoke until the trigger J is returned to its normal'position, where it will underlie the ledge F and be ready to support the yoke as the dog J is carried with it out of engagement with the crosspiece F (see dotted lines in Fig. 6) It will be understood, of course, that the dog J becomes operative only when the trigger J fails to return to its normal position in time to arrest the downward movement of the yoke F after the cam G has completed its rotation. Under normal conditions, the trigger will always return to normal position and the parts will operate in the usual way and as if the dog J were not present.

As already stated, the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described merely by way of example and in its specific application to the key-board mechanism of a Linotype machine. Obviously, however, it is equally applicable to other finger-key controlled power-operated mechanisms, such as typewriters and the like, power shifts for the magazines of typographical machines, or other mechanisms wherein a single operation in response to the actuation of the finger-key is desired or required. Moreover, it is applicable to power operated mechanisms controlled otherwise than by a finger-key, as, for example, teletypewriting and teletypesetting machines, wherein a perforated tape control is substituted for the usual manual key-control.

Having thus described my claim is:

1. A power operated mechanism for typographical machines including, in combination, an actuating element, means for operating said element, control means for normally maintaining said operating means inactive and operable periodically to render said means active to inaugurate the operation of the actuating element, and safety means operable, upon the abnormal operation of said control means, to act independently of the control means to arrest the operating means after its operation of the actuating element. 2. A combination according to claim 1, where in the safety meansis adapted to yield to permit the release of said operating means and to be self-operative thereafter to condition itself to arrest said means after the operation of the actuating element thereby.

3. A combination as in claim 1, wherein the safety means is adapted to yield to permit the release of said operating means and thereafter automatically condition itself to arrest said means after the operation of the actuating element thereby.

4. A power operated mechanism for typographical machines including, in combination, an actuating element, a normally inactive cam yoke pivotally mounted at one end and free at the other, a rotatable cam carried by the yoke for actuating the same to operate said element once during each rotation of the cam, means arranged to prevent rotation of the cam in the inactive position of the yoke, power means for rotating the cam, movable means normally engaged with the free end of the yoke to support it in inactive position, means operable to shift said movable means from its supporting position to allow the yoke to swing from its inactive position to release the cam for operation and bring it into engagement with its rotating means, and safety means operable upon the failure of the yoke'supporting means to return to its supporting position to act independently of the yoke supporting means to arrest the yoke in inactive position after its operation of the actuating member.

5. A power operated mechanism for typographical machines including, in combination, an actuating element, a normally inactive cam yoke pivotally mounted at one end and free at invention what I the other, a rotatable cam carried by the yoke 75 for actuating the same to operate said element once during each rotation of the cam, means arranged to prevent rotation of the cam'in the inactive position of the yoke, power means for rotating the cam, movable means-normally engaged with the free end of the yoke to support it in inactive position, means operable to shift said movable means from its supporting position to allow the yoke to move from its inactive position to release the cam for operation and bring it into engagement with its'rotating means, and a safety dog adapted to be rendered operable upon the failure of the yoke supporting means to return to its supporting position to act independently of the yoke supporting means to arrest the yoke in inactive position after its operation of the actuating element.

6. A combination according to claim 5, wherein the safety dog is carried by the yoke supporting means.

7. A combination according to claim 5, wherein the safety dog is carried by the yoke supporting means and is mounted to yield topermit the shifting of the supporting means in releasing the yoke.

8. A combination according to claim 5, wherein the safety dog is carried by the yoke supporting means and is mounted to yield to permit the shifting of the supporting means in releasing the yoke, and means torender the safety dog operative automatically thereafter to arrest the yoke in inactive position after its operation of the actuating element.

9. A finger-key controlled power operated mechanism including, in combination, an actuating element, a horizontally disposed cam yokev pivotally mounted at one end and free at the other, a rotatable cam carried by the yoke for actuating the same to operate the actuating element once during each rotation of the cam, a stop arranged to prevent rotation of the cam when the yoke is in horizontal position, a pow-.

er-driven roll for rotating the cam, a trigger arranged normally to engage and support the free end of the yoke, a finger-key depressible to move the trigger out of engagement with the yoke and allow the latter to drop to disengage the cam from the stop and bring it into engagement with the power-driven roll, and a safety dog carried by the trigger and operative upon the failure of the trigger then to return to its normal position to support the yoke in horizontal position after its operation of the actuating element.

10. A key-controlled power operated mechanism including, in combination, an actuating element, a horizontally disposed cam yoke pivotally mounted at one end and free at the other, a rotatable cam carried by the yoke for actuating the same to operate the actuating element once during each rotation of the cam, a stop arranged to prevent rotation of the cam when the yoke is in horizontal position, a powerdriven roll for rotating the cam, a trigger arranged normally to engage and support the free end of the yoke, a finger-key depressible to move the trigger out of engagement with the yoke and allow the latter to drop to disengage the cam from the stop and bring it into engagement with the power-driven roll, said trigger being returnable to its normal yoke supporting position by the release of the finger-key, and a safety dog carried by the trigger and mounted to yield relatively thereto, said dog being adapted to support the yoke in horizontal position after its operation of theac'tuating element upon the failure of the trigger then to occupy its normal position, whereby the cam will be arrested by its stop at the completion of one rotation thereof and a second operation of the yoke thus prevented until the trigger returns to its normal position.

11. In or for a finger-key controlled power operated mechanism including an actuating element and a pivotally mounted member for operating said element, a trigger movable from its normal position in response to the actuation of the finger-key to release said member for operation and returnable upon the release of the finger-key to arrest the member after its operation of the actuating element, said trigger being provided with a safety dog adapted to be operable upon the failure of the trigger to return to its normal position to arrest said member after its operation of the actuating element.

12. In or for a finger-key controlled power operated mechanism including an actuating element and a pivotally mounted member for operating said element, a trigger movable from its normal position in response to the actuation of the finger-key to release said member for operation and returnable upon the release of the finger-key to arrest the member after its operation of the actuating element, said trigger being provided with a yieldable safety dog pivoted thereto and adapted to be operable upon the failure of the trigger to return to its normal position to arrest said member after its operation of the actuating element.

13. In or for a finger-key controlled power operated mechanism including an actuating ele ment and a pivotally mounted member for operating said element, a trigger movable from its normal position in response to the actuation of the finger-key to release said member for operation and returnable upon the release of the finger-key to arrest the member after its operation of the actuating element, said trigger being provided with a yieldable safety dog pivoted thereto and adapted to be automatically operable upon the failure of the trigger to return to its normal position to arrest said member after its operation of the actuating element.

14. In or for a finger-key controlled power operated mechanism including an actuating element and a pivotally mounted member for operating the actuating element, a trigger movable from its normal position in response to the actuation of the finger-key to release said member for operation and returnable upon the release of the finger-key to arrest the member after its operation of the actuating element, said trigger being provided with a yieldable spring-pressed safety dog pivoted thereto and adapted to be automatically operable upon the failure of the trigger to return to its normal position to arrest said member after its operation of the actuating element.

15. A finger-key controlled power operated mechanism comprising an actuating element, means for operating said element, and means operative in response to the depression of a finger-key to inaugurate the operation of said actuating element, said means being in constant operative connection with the finger-key and constructed and arranged to render the operating means operative to actuate the element but once for each depression of the finger-key.

16. A mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the means operative to inaugurate the operation of said actuating element comprises a composite member including two relatively movable sections adapted to render the actuating element inoperative, one section being active when the finger-key is depressed and the other when the finger-key is released.

1'7. A finger-key controlled power operated mechanism comprising an actuating element, a cam yoke arranged to operate said element, means for operating the cam yoke, and a trigger operative in response to the depression of a finger-key to release the cam yoke for operation of the actuating element, said trigger being provided with a relatively movable dog and both adapted to engage the cam yoke and hold it in inoperative position the trigger being active before the finger-key is depressed, and the dog being active after the finger-key is depressed and the cam yoke actuated to effect one operation of the actuating element.

FRANK C. FROLANDER. 

